Tim Robbin addresses the Press Club

[Chris Blount]

I go so tired of this crap! Tim Robbins recently spoke in front of the press club on his views about the war and the fact he thinks his civil rights are being violated. He states that him and his wife (Susan Serandon) are being "un-invited" to special appearances because of their unpopular opinions.

Why don't these "pacifist" hollywood liberals wake up and smell their own %&#*. I don't think they realize that they have the rights to free speech but listeners also have the right to not listen to their whiny Bologna. In his speech he goes on and on about how terrible things have been for him and his family. How supporters of the war shun him. The entire speech is laced with generalities with very little specific examples.

Tim and Susan are prime examples of why actors should not use their popularity to further their own political agenda. You invite them to an event and instead of giving comment on the event they are attending, they immediately begin ranting about current world events and their views. Susan did this very thing at the academy awards. When she was introducing the next award, she slipped political comment into her introduction thinking that nobody would notice. Hell, if I invited Tim or Susan to an event, I would also cancel. Not that I don't value their opinion, but more that I don't want to have them turn the event into a one sided political anti-war rally.

Anwyay, you can see the speech at the C-Span web site:

http://www.c-span.org/

Just click on the link over in the "Most Watched Video" column.

[John Corn]

I have little else to say, other than...he is allowed to use HIS position to influence public opinion, yet when the President of the Baseball Hall Of Fame uses his, it's impeding on his First Amendment rights? Everyone has their own right to free speech...Robbins has the right to say whatever he wants. And the public has a right to be outraged and not want to see him. It works both ways, Tim...stop crying.

Shawshank was one of my most favorite movies.

[gcutler]

I believe that they believe that there is some McCarthyism at work here forcing them to be uninvited. At least IMHO, they are just speaking unpopular ideas that other people do not want to hear at this time (or at least people hosting the events don't want the Sarandon's from overshadowing the reason for the events).

If you are going to put your neck out and speak up, you run the risk of being unpopular in areas you thought you might still be popular. I'm shocked that they don't see it either, they just miscalculated and are looking for excuses.

[dtcarson]

They certainly have the right to say whatever they want, just as the organizers of the event have the right to cancel. That doesn't infringe on their right to say what they want [plus, technically 'censorship' is only when the government does it]. Like Chris said, some of these outspoken people take any occasion to vent their spleens, even when it's not relevant to the event. You wouldn't invite the guy who always talks only about Star Trek or Nascar or whatever to your party, unless it was about ST or Nascar or whatever.
One thing Robbins, Sarandon, etc., don't seem to realize is that freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.

[Bogy]

Originally posted by Chris Blount
Tim and Susan are prime examples of why actors should not use their popularity to further their own political agenda. You invite them to an event and instead of giving comment on the event they are attending, they immediately begin ranting about current world events and their views. Susan did this very thing at the academy awards. When she was introducing the next award, she slipped political comment into her introduction thinking that nobody would notice. Hell, if I invited Tim or Susan to an event, I would also cancel. Not that I don't value their opinion, but more that I don't want to have them turn the event into a one sided political anti-war rally.
Oh come on Chris. You invite celebrities because you know it will draw attention to whatever event they are invited to. Its a tradeoff. In the next month or so George Bush will be invited to speak at as many commencement exercises as he wants to show up for. And he will use every one of them to give a political speech. The fact that people are graduating will be mentioned in passing if at all. The president will use the appearance to issue soundbites for that nights news. And the schools will get publicity. And a lot of what he will say will be offensive to many of the graduates. But he will still be invited. Without any rebuttal, he will have a chance to turn each of them into a one sided pro-war rally. Admit it, you just don't like the message, and what you really want is for them to have no right or opportunity to express themselves freely.

[Chris Blount]

Originally posted by Bogy

Oh come on Chris. You invite celebrities because you know it will draw attention to whatever event they are invited to. Its a tradeoff. In the next month or so George Bush will be invited to speak at as many commencement exercises as he wants to show up for. And he will use every one of them to give a political speech. The fact that people are graduating will be mentioned in passing if at all. The president will use the appearance to issue soundbites for that nights news. And the schools will get publicity. And a lot of what he will say will be offensive to many of the graduates. But he will still be invited. Without any rebuttal, he will have a chance to turn each of them into a one sided pro-war rally. Admit it, you just don't like the message, and what you really want is for them to have no right or opportunity to express themselves freely.

Disagree completely! When you invite the president for speeches, it's expected that he comment on recent events. That just part of the draw. When you invite an actor, you want comment and possibly some light hearted humor to make the event enjoyable. There is a time and a place for everything and the baseball hall of fame is not the place for an anti-war rally.

Let me put it this way. If you invite Time Robbins to your church to speak about Exodus 34, would you want him to rant about civil rights and how Bush is doing a terrible job? Absolutely not! It would be inappropriate.

Free speech is a great thing but loses is value quickly when it's abused.

[lastmanstanding]

I love it when the Left gets a taste of their own medicine. I am so tired of instantly being labeled a racist bigot homophobe just because I don't agree with them on something. Their intolerance stops earnest discourse.

Things are not going their way anymore, and that is terrific.

[Rick_EE]

Anyone who invites Tim Robbins should know what they are getting into. His style is no secret.
Now I am no fan of his, but I would admire him more if he stopped whining and took a stand. He could say something like, "I don't care what it does to my career, I will stand by what I believe."

[Mike123abc]

Just because you are a celebrity does not mean that you have to voice your opinions that are not show business related to the rest of the world. But, you stick a microphone in front of someone and they cannot resist babbling on and on about whatever they think or think the audience wants to hear.

[Eyedox]

Nobody gives two sh*ts about what Tim & Susan's opinions are ... that's why we have our own. All of these illiterate, uneducated actors (who do so because they aren't smart enough to function in normal society) are the loudest of their breed.

[Chris Blount]

Originally posted by Eyedox
All of these illiterate, uneducated actors (who do so because they aren't smart enough to function in normal society) are the loudest of their breed. And that is the key right there. Most of them react with their feelings rather than using their heads and thinking long term. They live in the here and now which is usually a sign of an uneducated mind.

[toenail]

Originally posted by Chris Blount
And that is the key right there. Most of them react with their feelings rather than using their heads and thinking long term. They live in the here and now which is usually a sign of an uneducated mind.


Those who can't do, Act.

[tampa8]

My only real complaint about those that react as Tim Robbins, is that they whine when people don't agree with them, or as some have done decided to cancel them. There is no guarantee that your free speech promises no adverse reaction. (Except no violent reaction, or jail etc.) You can voice those opinions, apparently burn the flag, and be part of unruly protests. I can embrace you, invite you to speak, or I can cancel you, and not spend money on projects you are involved with.

A very funny story. There is a small group of College students camped out along a main road at a University very near me. They have been living in tents and "divorcing themselves from the U.S. warmonger government." Well first, many go by late at night and beep their horns, and the campus police won't do anything to stop it. But the funny part is, the campus police believe they do not know the war is virtually over, and no one is telling them!

[Frank Z]

I believe that Albert Einstein really had these Hollywood weirdos in mind when he stated that "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

[Martyva]

Maybe this thread should be retitled---"Joe Pine's conversations with himself"

[Richard King]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=7472